European Journal of Translational Myology最新文献

The clinical effectiveness of physical training in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program (CRP) was assessed in hypertensive (Arterial Hypertension, AH), post-Myocardial Infarction (MI) patients. 206 patients were randomized into a physically trained group (PhTG, n=102) and an untrained, control group (CG, n=104). All patients received standard drug therapy. PhTG patients performed mild callisthenic exercises and moderately intensive bicycle exercise three times/week for one year. Compared to control patients, PhTG patients had significant changes in exercise capacity (duration +38%, p<0.001; total work +63.6%, p<0.001); rate-pressure product (-8.2%, p<0.01); left ventricular ejection fraction (+7.6%, p<0.001); left ventricular stroke volume (+5.1%, p<0.01). Resting BP decreased in PhTG patients (systolic BP, -3.1%, p<0.05; diastolic BP, -3.5%, p<0.001), but increased in CG patients (systolic BP, +3.1%, p<0.05; diastolic BP +3.4%, p<0.05). PhTG patients had fewer myocardial ischemic episodes, including painless ischemia during exercise, fewer angina attacks, less nitroglycerin consumption, improved quality of life, fewer cardiovascular events (-50%, p<0.05), and days of absence from work (-43.2%, p<0.05). Thus, supplementing a CRP with moderate exercise improved BP, work capacity, cardiac function, and quality of life in hypertensive, post-MI patients.

The success of rehabilitation is usually assessed based on the results reported by patients and physicians. However, these assessments often vary and frequently fail to take psychosocial and contextual factors into account. This study investigated how Patient Researchers (PRs) and Healthcare Professional Researchers (HPRs) perceive rehabilitation outcomes and which Critical Success Factors (CSFs) they consider most influential. Using a participatory mixed-methods design, 90 anonymized patient records were evaluated and divided into groups based on good, poor, and conflicting outcomes. The participants - 3 PRs and 24 HPRs - assessed the success of rehabilitation and the potential significance of previously identified CSFs. In contrast to the HPRs, the PRs attributed greater influence to psychosocial factors. The HPRs generally provided a more accurate assessment of the outcome ratings in the patient records, correctly classifying 54.5% vs. 47.7%. Ultimately, the most important CSFs were incorporated into the Rehabilitation Expectation and Perception Scale (REPS), a screening instrument for identifying context-sensitive factors that influence rehabilitation success. This new approach supports personalized, context-sensitive rehabilitation planning, aiming to optimize treatment and facilitate a more nuanced assessment of rehabilitation success.

In the paper titled "Hungry runners - low energy availability in male endurance athletes and its impact on performance and testosterone: mini-review", published in vol. 33, issue 2 of 2023, Supplementary Table 1 was mistakenly mentioned as Table 1. The correct supplementary file is now available. Reference Cupka M, Sedliak M. Hungry runners - low energy availability in male endurance athletes and its impact on performance and testosterone: mini-review. Eur J Translat Myol 2023;33:11104 doi: 10.4081/ejtm.2023.11104.

The 21st Annual Meeting of the Interuniversity Institute of Myology (IIM), held in Assisi, Italy, from September 4-7, 2024, gathered 123 experts, including basic and clinical myologists, pharmaceutical representatives, and patient organizations from Italy, Europe, Canada, and USA. The meeting fostered a proactive, collaborative and dynamic atmosphere, promoting scientific exchange and international partnerships focused on muscle research, from physiology to disease mechanisms, and eventually therapeutic approaches. The 21st IIM Meeting featured 6 main scientific sessions, showcasing 30 oral presentations and 45 always-on-display posters, all reporting original and unpublished research. The program was enriched by four keynote lectures from internationally renowned speakers and talks from delegates of the Société Française de Myologie, adding depth to the scientific discussions. As part of the IIM Meeting organization, this year there was also a free-access educational convention titled "Physical exercise as prevention". Leading IIM experts shared insights on exercise-based lifestyle interventions aimed at improving public health, with the participation of the Italian former boxer Roberto Cammarelle. The event drew a large in-person and online audience. This IIM Meeting edition strongly emphasized the involvement and growth of young researchers, with 50% of the attendees being <35, reinforcing IIM's commitment to fostering the next generation of myologists. Along this line, and to further support young researchers, awards for Best Talk, Best Poster Blitz, and Best Poster were presented. The winners joined the IIM Young Committee, contributing to the scientific organization of future IIM meetings together with the IIM Scientific Committee. The meeting was also integrated into the "Advanced Myology Update 2024" high-training course, organized by the University of Perugia in collaboration with IIM. The 11 trainees enrolled in the course participated in dedicated roundtables and exclusive lessons led by IIM's invited speakers. In this report are included the abstracts of both oral and poster presentations, with some being withheld for patent-related reasons. Through its annual congress and educational initiatives, IIM played a crucial role in shaping the future of myology research, fostering innovation, collaboration, and scientific excellence on an international scale. We invite you to save the date for the 22nd IIM meeting that will be held in the beautiful Assisi, September 11-14, 2025. We can't wait to welcome you!

Skeletal muscle tissue acts as a functional unit for physical movements, energy metabolism, thermogenesis, and metabolic homeostasis. In this literature review, the underlying mechanisms of skeletal muscle atrophy and the prevention strategies, including vigorous training and nutritional modifications are focused. Furthermore, the comparative analysis of multiple interventions is briefly explained. Ageing is an inevitable process often associated with cognitive impairment and physical decline due to muscular atrophy. Skeletal muscle atrophy is characterized by low muscle mass due to multiple underlying factors, i.e., genetic predisposition, ageing, inflammation, and trauma. The structural alterations include myofiber shrinkage, changes in myosin isoforms, decrease in myofiber diameter, and total protein loss. Furthermore, there is an imbalance in protein anabolic and catabolic reactions. This may be due to changes in multiple signal transduction pathways of protein degradation (i.e., caspase, calpain, ubiquitin protein degradation system, autophagy) and protein anabolism via the mTOR pathway. Consequently, certain pathophysiological factors associated with health disparities may reduce mobility and functional capacity to perform ADLs. To tackle this issue, novel strategies linked to physical movement, and dietary intake must be incorporated in life. Exercise poses multiple health benefits, including improved muscle mass and mobility. Diet diversification [particularly protein-rich meals] and the "whole food" approach (based on non-protein nutrients) may enhance intramuscular anabolic signaling and tissue remodeling. However, there is a pressing need to fund large-scale evidence-based trials based on modern machine learning techniques (AI-driven nutrition). Additionally, entrepreneurial platforms for commercialization of consumer-friendly food products must be initiated in future.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the leading cause of injury-related death worldwide. In recent years, Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising diagnostic and treatment tool capable of improving Cognitive Function (CF) after TBI. We sought to review the literature on this issue systematically. Web of Science, PubMed and PsycINFO were screened for relevant literature. Only randomized control trials whereby TBI-affected individuals underwent VR training and control groups received standard rehabilitative care were included. Screening, quality appraisal and data extraction were conducted by independent reviewers using a standardized protocol. Six studies of ~300 participants met the inclusion criteria and showed that both groups improved their overall CF post-intervention. However, non-immersive and semi-immersive VR groups had markedly better scores in all of the cognitive domains measured when compared to non-VR groups. VR is a potent post-TBI rehabilitative tool that can improve CF in this population and facilitate the return-to-work process. Future studies should adopt a similar design yet use fully immersive VR to enhance CF potentially to a greater degree.

Pelvic Floor Disorders (PFDs) are a group of disorders of the female reproductive system that can cause a variety of problems for women. PFDs can include Urinary Incontinence (UI) and Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP). This study evaluated the association between mediolateral episiotomy during pregnancy and POP in patients. A cross-sectional study with prospective follow-up was conducted on 150 pregnant women admitted for vaginal delivery at Furqani Hospital in Qom, Iran. Participants were divided into episiotomy and non-episiotomy groups based on clinical indications. Pelvic organ prolapse was assessed using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) system at baseline and 3-6 months postpartum. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, with a significance level of 0.05. The study included 142 patients with a mean age of 29.67 years. No significant differences were observed in demographic or clinical variables between the episiotomy and non-episiotomy groups at baseline. Postpartum, the episiotomy group showed significant improvements in cystocele severity (P=0.038), rectocele severity (P=0.026), apical prolapse (P=0.011), levator tone (P=0.016), and perineal descent (P=0.016). However, the cough test results did not differ significantly (P=0.052). Mediolateral episiotomy during vaginal delivery was associated with reduced severity of POP and improved PFD. These findings suggest a potential protective effect of episiotomy against certain pelvic floor complications, although further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm these results.

Cost-effective and portable ultrasonography offers a promising approach for monitoring skeletal muscle damage and quality in many contexts. However, echogenicity analysis relies on precise transducer orientations and machine parameters, posing challenges for data pooling across different raters and settings. Muscle texture analysis offers a potential means of reducing inter-rater and machine-setting variability. Scans were assessed at nine angles, controlled using a custom transducer shell and software. Scans were performed three times, and different gains were applied. All scans were performed on a muscle tissue-mimicking phantom to eliminate biological variability. Intra-angle and intra-gain variability and internal consistency were assessed via coefficient of variation (CV%) and Cronbach's alpha (αc). Spearman's (ρ) correlations were employed to determine the relationship between echogenicity and each texture feature. Entropy (angle: CV=2.7-7.6%; gain: CV=10.5%; αc=0.86), and inverse difference moment (angle: CV=3.7-9.8%; gain: CV=16.5%; αc=0.87) were less variable than echogenicity (angle: CV=6.4-19.4%; gain: CV=39.0%; αc=0.82). Angular second moment (angle: CV=17.9-116.6%; gain: CV=71.6%; αc=0.68), contrast (angle: CV=7.8-14.7%; gain: CV=41.8%;αc=0.75), and correlation (angle: CV=9.0-13.5%; gain: CV=28.6%; αc=0.49) features were generally more variable. Entropy (ρ=0.82-0.98, p≤0.011) and inverse difference moment (ρ=-0.98--0.83, p≤0.008), were more strongly correlated with echogenicity than angular second moment (ρ=-0.98--0.77, p≤0.016), contrast (ρ=0.53-0.98, p≤0.15), and correlation (ρ=-0.25--0.19, p=0.520-0.631). Entropy and inverse difference moment features may allow data sharing between laboratory and clinical settings with ultrasound machine parameters and raters of varying skill levels. Clinical and mechanistic studies are required to determine if texture features can replace echogenicity assessments.

Excess body weight is associated with increased mortality, low physical fitness and low levels of physical activity. The objective this study to verify the linear and nonlinear (quadratic) relationships between Body Mass Index (BMI) and lower limb strength in children and adolescents of both sexes in a region of Chile. A descriptive (cross-sectional) study was carried out in children and adolescents of school age (6 to 17 years) of both sexes. The sample size was 863 schoolchildren (500 males and 363 females). Weight, height and the Horizontal Jump test (HJ) were evaluated. BMI and BMI z -score were calculated according to age and sex. In males, the explanatory power in the linear model [R= 0.15, R2= 0.02, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE)= 39.6] is lower than the non-linear quadratic model (R= 0.22, R2= 0.05, RMSE= 39.0). In females, the explanatory power in the linear model (R= 0.12, R2= 0.02, RMSE= 23.2) is lower than the quadratic nonlinear model (R= 0.19, R2= 0.04, RMSE= 22.9). In the BMI z-score scale, males presented HJ values of: [Low BMI 145.4±39.5cm, normal 164.2±33.6cm, and high BMI 109.0±23.2cm]. In females it was: [Low BMI 108.0±23.0cm, normal 113.5±36.3cm, and elevated BMI 91.5±30.4cm].  The study verified a curvilinear relationship in the form of a parabola (quadratic) between BMI and the HJ test in children and adolescents of both sexes. Schoolchildren in the extreme BMI categories (low and high BMI) reflected low performance in the HJ in relation to school-children with normal BMI.

Dear Editor, We were interested to read the article by Amergoolov et al. on two patients with Kearns-Sayre Syndrome (KSS) due to single mtDNA deletions who had phenotypic endocrine disorders among other features.1 Patient 1, a 20-year-old female, was diagnosed with hypogonadism, diabetes and osteoporosis, and patient 2, a 22-year-old male, was diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance and osteoporosis.1 It was found that the severity of clinical manifestations increases with the size of the mtDNA deletion, but that other factors such as heteroplasmy, mtDNA duplications or pleioplasmia can also determine the severity of the disease.1 The study is impressive, but some points should be discussed. [...].